Trips to Memaw’s (Edna Higginbotham) house for me were good and bad. The bad – car sickness. Two hour road trips were excruciating. Especially since Mom and Dad both smoked and the window would only be cracked a 1/4 inch. When we got there and opened up the car doors, you would have thought we were rolling with Cheech and Chong, the smoke would pour out of the car. Only good thing about that was, I swore I would never smoke and I never have. The good – running into my Memaw’s arms. The banana pudding that she made for me every single time. (I have a picture of me eating a bowl of it somewhere, when I find it I will have to post that.) Playing in her front lawn with rolly polly’s, I swear that grass was like carpet. I spent hours out there. Her neighbor Faye, wish I knew her last name, I visited her every time, she was such a sweet lady.

Three things were certain about visiting my Memaw, banana pudding, trip to cemetery to visit Bepaw (Earl Higginbotham), and Bryce’s cafeteria. I loved doing them all. She probably got me started on my love for walking the cemeteries. This is Memaw beside Bepaw’s grave. I don’t remember him except for what I see in pictures, I was three years old when he passed away. I wish I would have talked to her about him. I don’t know why I didn’t. That brings to mind a great news article I saw on MSN today. What Your Grandkids Won’t Tell You. It’s a great article that gives sound advice on connecting with your Grandchildren. It’s never to late to start talking about your childhood to your children or grandchildren. Even if they don’t ask, slip a tidbit in there every once in a while and one day they will remember what you have told them. I won’t ever get that opportunity with any of my grandparents as they are all gone, and their stories with them. That’s ok, it just gives me incentive to dig for those stories, and I have met so many wonderful people along the way.

One time on a trip to see Memaw, I was a teenager at the time, she wasn’t driving much so her car would just sit in the car port. She insisted that Dad start her car up and we take it to Bryce’s so that it could be driven a bit. So she gets in the front with Dad, Mom and I are in the back and all across the top of the seats by the back glass, were what I remember as HUNDREDS, but it probably wasn’t, of DEAD BUGS!! I poked Mom in the side, and she gave me the zip it signal. Then as we are driving along, the lining on the ceiling started falling down, so we all drove with our hands on the ceiling holding it up! Dad said, “Mama, it’s time to retire this car.” and she said, “Just drive Ru.” So we moseyed on over to Bryce’s and went back home the same way we got there. With our hands on the ceiling and Mom and I sitting in the bug graveyard. Dad got the lining fixed, and we vacuumed the bugs. They weren’t rolly polly’s though.

Got a story you would like for me to post on Sentimental Sunday? Send it to me, and I will be happy to do so!

Find a relative you are looking for? Contact me through the contact form on the left of the screen, and I will direct you to my Ancestry.com tree which has more information, such as photo's, documents, etc.

about.me

My name is Susie.

I'm a city slicking country girl raising boys and chickens. I confuse the dead and irritate the living by digging up our families past and telling their stories.